Essential Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Contrary to the popular fitness trends that portrayed dietary fats as bad sources of fat, Olive Oil is a healthy fat and has been used in diets for thousands.
Olive Oil is more than a pantry staple. It can be used for cooking, salad dressings and many other culinary purposes.

What is Olive Oil?

Olive Oil is the natural oil that comes from olives. Olives can be processed in a variety of ways to obtain this oil. This determines whether or not the final product will be considered refined.

The least processed form of Olive Oil is Unrefined Olive Oil. It's also known as Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). This allows the Olive Oil to retain a large percentage of its vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory qualities. The final product will have a darker appearance and a stronger flavor profile.

The refined olive oil can be processed to a higher level and blended with other oils from different areas to obtain the final product. Extra processing results in an oil with a lighter appearance but little or no flavor.

Even though both types of Olive Oil can be considered healthy, Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many health benefits.

Four Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive Oil has a high concentration of antioxidants

These substances are well-known for their anti-free radical properties. Antioxidants, for example, prevent tissue oxidation and aid with blood glucose. Both of these are major risk factors for heart disease.

Antioxidants are known to be beneficial for heart health and can also help prevent other diseases. Researchers believe that Olive Oil could help prevent atherosclerosis and even cancer. This is due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties.

Olive Oil is a great weight loss aid

Several weight loss programs currently encourage people to avoid high-fat foods. This is not true. In controlled research, Olive Oil was actually shown to aid in weight loss.

The participants followed a diet high in olive oil for three years and experienced a variety of benefits.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be a great addition to your diet. Fats have the highest number of calories per gram, and they also absorb at a slower pace than other macronutrients. These factors can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time and reduce your cravings for junk food and snacks.

Monounsaturated Fats and Inflammation

Olive Oil is rich in oleic acid. This healthy monounsaturated fat has been shown to reduce inflammation. Although inflammation is an inevitable response to stress, chronic inflammation can lead to a host of diseases. Numerous studies have shown that chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing them.

The high levels of lipoic acids found in Olive Oil could have beneficial effects on the cancer-causing genes. Further research has shown promising results in relation to breast cancer.

Cancer Fighting Properties

Dietary precautions are one of the best ways to prevent cancer from becoming a leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers believe that the Mediterranean region has lower rates of certain cancers than other regions due to their high intake of Olive Oil.

Olive Oil's antioxidants not only prevent inflammation but also decrease cell proliferation, which is believed to be one of many leading causes of cancer.